<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> In the Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) curriculum, there is no specific content for education for sustainable development (ESD). Thus, it is not possible to get direct guidelines on how to conduct ESD in ECEC from the curriculum. We seek to look at the preferences of Finnish early childhood educators through the model of extended environmental education. Behind this model is Palmer's tree model and an emphasis on empirical, social and ethical components of ECEC. The research method employed a survey. Altogether 924 teams in Southern Finland evaluated their learning environments. By using a factor and reliability analysis, we extracted three factors relevant to the extended Palmer's model. The teachers primarily emphasised the understanding (learning) aspects of ECEC. The second most important aspect comprised the social aspects of education. The third most important aspect included the ethical and participant aspects of ECEC. Potential implications and indications to the practice of ESD are discussed</p></abstract>

In the Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) curriculum, there is no specific content for education for sustainable development (ESD). Thus, it is not possible to get direct guidelines on how to conduct ESD in ECEC from the curriculum. We seek to look at the preferences of Finnish early childhood educators through the model of extended environmental education. Behind this model is Palmer's tree model and an emphasis on empirical, social and ethical components of ECEC. The research method employed a survey. Altogether 924 teams in Southern Finland evaluated their learning environments. By using a factor and reliability analysis, we extracted three factors relevant to the extended Palmer's model. The teachers primarily emphasised the understanding (learning) aspects of ECEC. The second most important aspect comprised the social aspects of education. The third most important aspect included the ethical and participant aspects of ECEC. Potential implications and indications to the practice of ESD are discussed

Education for sustainable development in early childhood education in Finland

Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability

{"article-title":"Education for sustainable development in early childhood education in Finland"}

In the Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) curriculum, there is no specific content for education for sustainable development (ESD). Thus, it is...

Education for sustainable development in early childhood education in Finland

Published Online: Mar 12, 2014

Page range: 91 - 102

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jtes-2013-0014

Keywords
education for sustainable development, environmental education, early childhood education and care, curriculum, learning, agency

This content is open access.

Education for sustainable development in early childhood education in Finland

Published Online: Mar 12, 2014

Page range: 91 - 102

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jtes-2013-0014

Keywordseducation for sustainable development, environmental education, early childhood education and care, curriculum, learning, agency

This content is open access.

Keywords
education for sustainable development, environmental education, early childhood education and care, curriculum, learning, agency